Allergies

To the owner of today's cat-of-the-day : I'm sorry your nephew had to give up sweet Muffin because of allergies. But please tell him that he can get a Siberian. They are "hypo-allergenic". I am very allergic to other cats, but my Siberian doesn't cause me any trouble. I also have many allergic friends which don't react to him. Siberians are also very beautiful and good-natured. (But then again, aren't most cats ?)
You can see him on his very own web site :
Shimon the Siberian Cat

[Cougie Wechsler]

Shimon is adorable! I am so glad that there is a cat for allergic cat lovers. I have a good friend who is crazy about cats but is allergic. I will tell him about the Siberian breed and maybe he will be able to finally be owned by a cat - thanks for sharing Shimon with us!

[AmberLee]

Shimon is GORGEOUS. [Like most the crowd here, I'm a push-over for "redhead" cats!] Such a lovely baby, and cuddly, too. Is Shimon a male or female? {Sorry, didn't notice that you said he was a he. I'll try to read more carefully next time.}

[ November 30, 2001: Message edited by: AmberLee ]

[wayne0214]

Shimon is definitely a very beautiful cat. He reminds me of a Norweigen Forest Cat. Are the breeds similiar?

[yorkster]

Shimon is indeed a beautiful cat!
I looked up Siberian cat in a couple of my cat books, and it is listed as Siberian Forest Cat. It is also grouped in with the Norweigen Forest Cat and the Maine Coon Cat.
All three cats look a lot alike, and have very similar personalities. They are also considered a 'natural' purebred, so they can have any color and/or markings.
I wonder if N. Forest cats would be okay for people with allergies, since they are soo much alike?

Anyway, what a great looking cat, and the web page was wonderful!

[Karen]

No cat is actually non-allergic, but some breeds, especially some of the heavy-coated cats like the Siberian, cause less of a reaction, something to do with their fur keeping their dander closer to them instead of shedding the dander that will effect allergic people.

When I was a teenager, I babysat for a family that raised, bred and loved Himalayan cats. There were a total of fourteen cats around the house, from the domestic shorthair types to Siamese, to the extra-fluffy Himalayan, and Boo (Champion Show-cat Little Boy Boo) especially liked to "help" me with my homework, usually by lying across whatever textbook I was trying to read. The one night I forgot my antihistamines, I reacted quite strongly to Fluffy (the unfluffiest cat in the house, a DSH tomcat of dubious origins, coool in demeanor to everyone but the adoring four-year-old who named him), but barely at all to Boo, despite his attempts to help me with my Chemistry book, that eventually ended up with him completely content, purring, covering my lap while I guarded my book from him with one arm and propped it up with the other!

Hello Karen,

I did not know that about heavy-coated cats. But that's not why the Siberians cause less (or virtually no) allergies. Siberians have an extremely low concentration of FEL D1 protein in their saliva which causes the dander in the first place. Of course no animal is 100% hypo-allergenic because some allergies may be caused by the fur, saliva, etc. But most allergies to cats are dander-related.

Rinat

Originally posted by Karen:
<STRONG>No cat is actually non-allergic, but some breeds, especially some of the heavy-coated cats like the Siberian, cause less of a reaction, something to do with their fur keeping their dander closer to them instead of shedding the dander that will effect allergic people.

When I was a teenager, I babysat for a family that raised, bred and loved Himalayan cats. There were a total of fourteen cats around the house, from the domestic shorthair types to Siamese, to the extra-fluffy Himalayan, and Boo (Champion Show-cat Little Boy Boo) especially liked to "help" me with my homework, usually by lying across whatever textbook I was trying to read. The one night I forgot my antihistamines, I reacted quite strongly to Fluffy (the unfluffiest cat in the house, a DSH tomcat of dubious origins, coool in demeanor to everyone but the adoring four-year-old who named him), but barely at all to Boo, despite his attempts to help me with my Chemistry book, that eventually ended up with him completely content, purring, covering my lap while I guarded my book from him with one arm and propped it up with the other!</STRONG>

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Thanks to everyone for all the compliments about Shimon. I am overcome with pride !

I didn't know about the Norwegian Forest Cat and Maine Coone being relatives of the Siberian, although I always thought they do look similar. Thanks for that piece of information as well.

[yorkster]

Here is something I found on the internet concerning allergies and the Siberian Forest cat- it's from Pet Net Cat Breed Directories:

If you're looking for a great big huggable, loveable, playful ball of fur, the Siberian Cat is an excellent choice! These large, beautiful cats are as sweet, gentle, affectionate and playful as they are powerful. Siberians have a muscular mid-section and longer hind legs, making them powerful leapers (look out knick knacks!). They have a dense coat and long, bushy tail which helped to keep them warm in the cold climates from which they originated. Despite it's length, the Siberian coat requires minimal grooming as it does not mat like other long-haired breeds. The Siberian is a great choice for the cat lover with allergies - as they do not have FeLD protein in their saliva which creates dander, and are hypoallergenic, or not an allergy problem to most allergy sufferers. These cats do require one important regimen - daily hugs and kisses


[ December 02, 2001: Message edited by: yorkster ]